Two St. Thomas tennis players play in a match. The MIAC announced Monday that it is postponing all athletic competition until January 2021. (TommieMedia file photo)
The MIAC is postponing all athletic competition, including the previously cleared-to-compete tennis and golf until January 2021, the conference announced Monday.
This decision came after the NCAA Division III Administrative Committee recommended that NCAA schools not compete in the fall to avoid health and safety risks.
“The delay in competition will grant institutions, staff and students additional time to adjust to new safety protocols on campus in the COVID-19 era while also allowing for continued testing and treatment developments,” the MIAC wrote in its statement.
In July, the MIAC postponed cross country, football, soccer and volleyball competition to the spring.
Before Monday’s announcement, tennis and golf were set to start at the second half of their split-season schedules, and the MIAC Golf Championships were moved from October to a spring 2021 date.
Senior golfer Peder Larson was disappointed after hearing the MIAC’s decision.
“It’s just kind of heartbreaking news, especially since our last spring season was canceled too, so having two seasons in a row canceled hurts,” Larson said. “I understand why they canceled it, because obviously the safety of the players come first.”
St. Thomas’ athletics department responded to the MIAC decision to postpone fall competition.
“We fully understand and support the decision made by the MIAC Presidents’ Council to postpone all competition through the end of the 2020 calendar year,” St. Thomas Athletics said in a statement. “Our focus remains working with campus leadership to provide a safe learning environment not only for our student-athletes, but for all of our community as we proceed with safely bringing students back to campus and returning to class next week.”
Winter coaches started working on compressed schedules that will begin in January, and the MIAC said it will “release schedules for all postponed seasons in the coming months.”
Sports teams will meet as early as this week to discuss fall and winter training plans.
“The health and well-being of our student-athletes and campus communities has always been our top priority, and this decision is directly in alignment with that,” St. Thomas Athletics said.
Mia Laube can be reached at mia.laube@stthomas.edu.
Emily Haugen can be reached at haug7231@stthomas.edu.
Joey Swanson and Justin Amaker contributed to this story.